The Finnish government has drafted a bill on restricting real estate transactions for foreigners, and the ban will currently presumably only affect Russian citizens.
Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen told the Yle portal on Thursday that the bill does not directly mention the Russian Federation, but it currently only applies to Russia.
The purpose of the new law is to prevent hostile, large-scale influence through real estate in Finland in various crisis scenarios, the minister said.
Yle said that Russians' real estate transactions in Finland have long been the subject of controversy. Last year, the Defense Ministry blocked several real estate transactions, citing the buyer's ties to the Russian Federation.
